


Day of Knights

by Phaengel



Category: Shovel Knight
Genre: Alternate - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood, Conflict, Drama, F/F, Fanfiction, Fighting, Flashbacks, Gay, Gender, Genderswap, I mean, I promise theres a happy ending, Knights - Freeform, Lesbian, Lesbian Romance, Love, Magic, Medieval, Rewrite, Romance, Sad, Suggestive Themes, Updates to come, Violence, actually you know what no promises u just gotta stick around, but well see huh, chapters, happyish, i cant believe im writing about shovel knight but here we are, i dont know how many chapters there will be, im basically rewriting the whole thing, it gets better tho dont worry, its a little sad, like really super duper gay, mild violence, more to come - Freeform, really gay, shovel, tbc, this is just some gay nonsense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-07-14 11:37:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16039706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phaengel/pseuds/Phaengel
Summary: This is a Shovel Knight fanfiction that I am currently working on. The characters, world, and BASIC plot are the same but that's about it. This story is rewritten in a manner to best fit my narrative, and is hopefully fun to read. Shovel Knight is also female, and still on a quest to save her partner Shield Knight.





	1. Dawn of Hope

Piercing glimmers of sunlight slid down the curve of her shovel; radiant beams rolled down the blue contour of her plate. Her weapon held high and true, the knight had returned.

The land extended far into the beyond before her, and a needle’s shadow stood alone at the precipice of the horizon. The Tower of Fate, as it had been dubbed, waited for her. She waited for her, Shield Knight. Something deep in Shovel Knight’s heart stirred with an electric, bittersweet reception to the sight. She gripped the hilt of her spade tight in her polished gauntlet and breathed the warm, countryside morning air in. She had always loved the gentle scent of honeysuckles carried in the breeze. However the knight’s home was never meant to stay there, for it was the land itself. She was an adventurer whose valor had again woken to face the world and all its evils. Shovel Knight took her first step down the hill.  
Shield Knight had once been her fellow vagabond, and their escapades were more like parades than journeys. They plundered riches and feasted on homemade meals gathered from the generous land. Their spirits lead them to many places, leaving trails of inspiration to the those met along the path. Soon people all over the land knew of the knights, and heroes they were. Shovel Knight’s last adventure had concluded unfortunately, when she lost her partner to the Tower of Fate and it sealed itself off from the world. With no way to save Shield Knight, she did the same, and retreated to the endless country to live alone.  
Now the tower breathed in the distance, growing thunderclouds and darkness around it, but it would not be met so easily. Malice spread without the bold knights present to vanquish it, and now plagued the land before Shovel Knight. Yet more troubling than this, the blue knight would be forced to go it alone, with only her shovel to enact justice. She vowed it would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for looking at my work! More will be added periodically and i am hoping for updates every week, and every other week at the latest. Comments are always welcome and appreciated!  
> It should also be noted that the first chapter here is more of an introduction/preview, and following chapters will be much longer with much more content.


	2. Dust of Past

The wildlife of the plains crawled as freely as it ever had, and Shovel Knight had long dreamed to again feel the breath of the wild. Deep in her heart, buried beneath the proud plates of her armor, she almost felt happy. But a cold reminder loomed over her, as the invisible eye of the Tower of Fate peered down upon her journey. The knight felt for her amulet pendant and clutched it close to her chest, shaking thoughts from her head and taking another step forward. She still had a long way to go. Shovel Knight thought back to that fateful day, when everything turned, when she had happened upon the tower. She and Shield Knight had been so excited they could barely contain it, the magic said to lie dormant in the tower was something every quester dreamed of beholding for themselves. On their quest for glory they had traveled so far they felt invincible, oh how wrong they were. Shovel Knight felt a little sick, and resisted the temptation to let her tears stream down her face again.  
The Knight’s travels had mostly gone unimpeded, plowing her way through the woodlands and caverns of massive ruby beetles and miniature emerald drakes. Eventually, reaching a point of land that crumbled beneath her weight, she dropped down into darkness. Shovel Knight proceeded cautiously when she heard a deep, raspy exhale. It sounded almost sleepy, as if it had come from something she had just woke. She turned slowly back to where the light from above spilled into the cave. Undeniably present within the sunny outline of its imposing form, a dragon opened its eyes to glare back at her. Shovel Knight knew that she was short, but seeing the creature eye to eye whilst it’s head rested on the ground was a rather sobering sight. The scaly creature crept lazily forward and soon had the knight backed into a corner. Left with no choice she ran back towards its figure, raising her shovel as it reared its head. In defense the dragon opened its jaws to release what the knight had expected to be fire, but was actually just a very large bubble. She stopped running as the bubble floated down to her and giggled, reaching a hand out. The moment the orb touched her armor it popped with such unanticipated force it threw Shovel Knight’s whole body back against the wall. Her shovel clattered across the stone to somewhere she couldn’t see and she groaned a curse under her breath. Falling to her knees before she had the chance to get back up, she had to duck to avoid the path of more large, warbling bubble bombs. The dragon pawed its way around the knight, lumbering closer and thrumming with a low, throaty growl. As it carelessly wandered further into the dark, the light from above reflected more faintly in the face of the breath bubbles, and one slipped under her radar to burst against her turned back. She was tipped like and domino and went straight into the ground. Groaning now, Shovel Knight pulled her hands in and lifted her head from the stone. Her body ached now from the impacts, but it was nothing she hadn’t been prepared to handle. This time, before standing, the knight listened close to the air around her, to the breathing and crunchy footfalls of the dragon nearby. It was a quiet for a moment, followed by the emergence of a soft *bwip*. Whipping around Shovel Knight swung a leg in the direction of the sound and felt the dank cavern air whiff around her plate mail. She sent a cool swirl around the invisible bubble headed towards her, and it floated back a step to land squarely on the dragon’s nose. It popped with the same force as the others, and slammed the dragon’s skull back down onto the stone. The cavern rattled at the weight and Shovel Knight was jostled back into a startled, standing stance. The dragon was still alive and well, but had seemed to determine the knight no longer worth the struggle of confrontation. Hefting itself up once more, the scaled beast turned to walk away with a huff, fully descending into the darkness. Shovel Knight took the chance to scour for her shovel and brush herself off. The land was truly as wild as it had ever been, if not more so.  
Coming up on a hill after about another hour of trekking across the plains, Shovel Knight spotted a light atop the hill flicker to life. It was a brilliant blue, and filled Shovel Knight with a strange sort of reassurance. As peculiar as the sight was, even with the known presence of magic in the realm, she did not feel a strong urge to question it, so she didn’t. Sometimes adventures simply had their moments of confidence, and this was one. Shovel Knight knew whatever was ahead of her now would be a challenge to face, but nothing that she couldn’t. Making her way down the other side of the hill a flat reach of grass presented itself, gently rolling in green waves of sheen from the sunlight above. It was beautifully peaceful, and at the other end of the level patch sat a shadowy figure, leaning against a log beside a hand-built fire pit. As Shovel Knight’s sole released an ethereal crunch of movement from pressing into the grass beneath, the figure turned to look back over its shoulder at her. It’s face was hidden by a disturbing scarlet glow emanating from within its pitch black helmet, and intimidating, illustrious red horns stretched back from the top of it.  
“So. Here at last?”  
“...”  
“I knew that you would show your face sooner or later, you wayward, Rayleigh scattered fool. You’re nothing but a coward who’s been thrown to the winds by your own inhibitions.”  
“..Dear friend, I–”  
“You had better watch who you fling your comradery and care to, wouldn’t it be a shame to lose another loved one to your defenselessness?”  
“BLACK KNIGHT. That is enough of this, why are you all the way out here? The edge of the wood is no place for an adventurer such as yourself”  
“Maybe so, but someone had to meet you, and put an end to this charade. You aren’t going anywhere Shovel Knight, and nothing lies in wait for you beyond this point. Turn back.”  
“You are wrong, Shield Knight is–!”  
“DON’T YOU SPEAK HER NAME!”  
“...”  
“Shovel Knight, you may think that your intentions are pure of heart, but I will be damned if I let you hurt her again, and dead before I let you continue any further. She might have been special to you once, but you were not her only friend. You were not the only one that she mattered to. The only thing that has ever mattered more to me than that friendship has been my own beliefs, I have honor, and take pride in who I am. To let you continue down this path to your own downfall would be so to let you tread on that pride. She is gone old friend, and as you stand now, you point your shovel at my honor. I cannot let this be, and you will not uproot me, I am sorry.”  
“I beg of you Black Knight, do not stand in my way. I cherish you just as I always have, but I must go forth.”  
“Don’t move Shovel Knight. I mean it.”  
Black Knight raised a pointed shovel in hand and gave it a single twirl, brandishing it with fierce aggression.  
“Please friend…”  
Shovel Knight finally stepped closer, crossing the line in Black Knight’s mind. The sunlight burned with an unnaturally dark ambience as it reflected off of Black Knight’s armor, pressed tight to a body running to attack. Shovel Knight stumbled back as the other knight suddenly was upon her, lunging forward with an outstretched arm. She leaned back to limbo just beneath the reach of the shovel, and Black Knight reacted on instinct to meet her challenge. Reaching down with their free hand, Black Knight grappled the blue knight’s armor in a balled fist and shoved, forcing her down onto her back and pushing the air from her chest. Shovel Knight twisted under their full weight, writhing a moment before focusing and twisting herself. Using all the inner strength she could muster Shovel Knight rolled the two clockwise and now lay over Black Knight on the ground. Before she could stand and attempt to speak again, Black Knight’s shovelhead swung up beneath her helm and began to glow. A malevolent fuchsia light grew brighter and brighter until there was a flash the made Shovel Knight’s whole body burn in agony. She flew back with a scream, arcing away from Black Knight’s form on the ground. Her back hit the dirt first as she landed with a thump and groaned. Black Knight stood at the opportunity and walked over to where Shovel Knight lay.  
“Listen, I don’t want to, but I will kill you here and now if that is what it takes.”  
Shovel Knight spit onto the ground and turned to look up at the voice.  
“So what’s it gonna be blue? Are you gonna walk away while you still can? Or is this it..?”  
Black Knight stepped closer to her side and she reached up to clutch the top of the knight’s shin plate, dragging herself up to speak face to face.  
“This.. this isn’t about me. It’s not about either of us and it never has been. If you would just hear me o–“  
Black Knight cut her off by smacking the backside of the black shovel against her helmet. Shovel Knight’s head jerked back and she fell, but she was not down for long. Just as Black Knight pulled back she reached up again with instinctive speed and curled her fingers around the edge of the shoulder blade closest to her. Without warning she yanked downwards and heard the clatter of armor as her opposition dropped. With the leverage she also clumsily pulled herself to her feet, gripping her shovel tight. Black Knight turned head in a blistering rage and pointed an outstretched shovel back at her. Quicker this time, the shovel glowed before releasing a blast of evil magic at her, but she was ready and without hesitation spun to backhand the pink orb with a *thwack*. Using her shovel as a sort of racket, she sent the energy back to Black Knight and it exploded violently against their prone form. A shout of ire rang through the plains now as the dust cleared and Black Knight was standing again. However, looking closer Shovel Knight realized it may have half been in pain. Black Knight hobbled now, clutching an arm and growling.  
“Black Knight wait!! Won’t you just give me a moment to speak, I am not your enemy!!”  
The other knight stopped their encroachment, seeming to think a moment before looking back up into Shovel Knight’s shadowed eyes. With that Black Knight took a step back, as if winding up, and lunged with an uneven leap to throw the black shovel. Shovel Knight stood only a fraction of a second before the spade pierced her facemask, fracturing the blue helmet and brutally toppling the cerulean knight. Sent careening through the grass, she lost her shovel as one bounced off of her helmet and flew away into taller greenery. Shovel Knight lay now with a deep cut just above the eye, the slot in her mask for sight chipped and nearly jagged along the top up near the forehead. She lay still for a minute, feeling the trickle of blood down the side of her face and gathering her breath. A minute later Black Knight appeared over her in the grass. The breeze gently rolled the blades from side to side as the valley grew eerily silent, wisping the faint scent of the wildflowers over them both. They both simply stared at one another, until Black Knight raised a fist and tried to bring it down upon Shovel Knight’s face. She thrust out a leg and collapsed the other knight’s stance in a swift kick, toppling Black Knight pitifully into the grass beside her.  
“Don’t you get it Henner? This isn’t between you and I, and I must reach the tower regardless of your quarrel!”  
Shovel Knight finally managed to sit up, scooting to lean over Black Knight and emphasize her point.  
“Do you understand now, friend?”  
“I’ve understood all along you gallant buffoon, and that’s why I cannot let you past, no matter what it costs me!!”  
With that Black Knight’s armor began to glow, as if all the malign magic within was being brought to the surface. The red ambience within the dark helmet cast itself upwards menacingly, and the colorless armor began to glow and swell as if to burst. Shovel Knight contemplated with increasing urgency whether she should run, but she decided on a final hope of delaying the blast, and crawled over Black Knight’s chest. Through the glowing red flood she could see Black Knight’s eyes at last, filled with burning hate, devotion, and.. fear. Without another thought Shovel Knight drove her fist down and felt it connect squarely with Black Knight’s head. A final clang rang out between them, over the grass and beyond the trees to bring the curtains down. The light faded from black armor and the other was still now, unconscious and quiet. Shovel Knight shook her hand and got back up to her feet, looking down wistfully as she did so.  
“Until we meet again, I am sorry old friend.”

The sun was low and the day was on its last legs, just as Shovel Knight hobbled on her spade as a support. Each time she sank her shovel into the ground, it made her wonder if she was using it the way she had intended to when she set out on this journey. On any journey really. It had come so far with her, and only one other had ever been by her side for so long.  
Setting up camp for the night, she lit her fire and leaned back against a large log. The day had turned for the knight and sleep overcame her. Darkness, before an ethereal whiteness, surrounding her and filling the world. Shovel was alone and had never felt it more than in that moment. Then she heard a voice, calling out in an ephemeral whisper. She listened close, focusing hard on the words. They had nearly escaped her when she heard it.  
“Catch her.”  
Shovel Knight looked up to see the brilliant red of her beloved, careening through the empty void of thought. She ran, reaching out her arm and jumping with the last of her stamina. She was there, Shield Knight! She was there! So close and just as she cradled her arm beneath the falling woman—  
Daylight awoke the knight from her dream.


	3. Ash of Present

Shovel Knight’s sole stepped down onto the hard, gaudy brick with a clap. Her boots leaving the grass for the polished gilding lain before her. The woman had officially entered the domain of the golden tyrant, King Knight.  
Before her the forest suddenly broke away and the ground flattened beneath an expanse of metallic brick. High above spired towers reached for the heavens and walls fortified the outside of the castle. It appeared sturdy at a glance, but King Knight had not been there forever and the material was less than efficient. Quickly piled stacks of gold managed to intimidate the people, but she was a knight. Marching up to the outside of the castle the breeze grew quiet. Shovel Knight scoured for any imperfections, pausing a moment before stepping back for a wider scope. There! The blue knight gripped her shovel tight and plunged it suddenly through a gap in the embellishments on the brick. Immediately the thicker bricks shifted back and began to tumble out of place until the gallant surface was blemished by a gaping hole. The act hadn’t stirred any dust, as there must have been something, or someone, upkeeping the appearance of the castle. Shovel Knight shook her head a little and marched inside. The polished poultry had sat fat and comfortable in his throne for too long.  
A shadow whisked over Shovel Knight as she stepped inside the walls and looked up to see an intimidating sky; oversized rat-resembling creatures, moving in jerking motions, were suspended below the speeding form of a massive griffin. The rodents appeared to stay aloft by the twirling of propellers affixed to their backs, and the griffin was cast in dazzling golden armor plates. Shovel Knight lowered her stance just slightly.  
“Rats”  
Shovel Knight skid to a halt before the lowest tower and scaled the side with fearless determination. Hauling herself over the edge with a clang her armor rattled like a gong and seemed to iron out the air with a deafening silence. Heads poked up from adjacent towers and shouts now reciprocated acknowledgement of her presence. Shovel Knight gathered herself and took off down a bridge over some of the lower spires, a few arrows whizzing by and the rats teetering closer. A few obstructed her path ahead but she gripped her shovel and swatted them aside with the backside of the end. She felt a little bad the poor creatures had been used as test subjects and pawns, and now had been placed before her, but that was all the more reason she had to get past them and to her goal. The high sun over head kept her shadow beneath her and the skies overhead clear, but soon she arrived at an obstruction she had hoped to slip by. The griffin sat tall and mighty at the end of the bridge, holding down the top of its own tower. It’s tail swished with a sort of playful aggressiveness, as if egging the knight on to take another step in its direction. She took a deep breath and raised her head to gaze upon the creature, slowly continuing to walk before starting to pick up the pace. The griffin did not move as she began to run towards it, gripping her shovel in two hands and plunging it forward. Just before reaching it, the griffin extended its wings to either side and opened its beak to expel a stream of blazing flame. Shovel Knight dove and could feel the flame graze the nape of her neck through her armor. Skidding to stop at the griffins feet, it caught its breath to look down disdainfully before raising a monstrous cat’s paw above her splayed form. As the talons came down and made contact with her breastplate the knight thrust she shovel upwards with all her might. The tip of her spade caught in the curve of the monsters lower jawbone, jabbing into its throat and up into the flesh of its maw. The claws scraped over her chest clumsily as the griffin's beak snapped shut and a squeal slipped out through its nostrils. The creature lost its footing and it’s paw came down on the other side of Shovel Knight, causing it to stretch its torso over over her head. The knight saw her chance and reared back, swinging her feet up under her shovel head as she used the rest of her strength to dig in under its feathers and push its head back. The griffin’s skull bent back on its neck and a sputter of flame puffed out from its jaws. As Shovel Knight continued to roll back to land on all fours, she looked up to see the griffin stumbling back over the railing of the tower. With an ear splitting screech and flailing talons clawing fruitlessly at the sleek brick, the griffin tumbled down the side of the tower. Shovel Knight gathered herself and righted her helmet, this was merely the beginning.  
Escaping the sun, Shovel Knight dashed into an open chamber to finally infiltrate the castle. Navigation had gone smoothly and she was confident she would soon reach her target, when she recognized the sound of footfalls behind her. The knight stopped and caught her breath, gripping the hilt of her weapon as she swung back and thrust it into the waiting blade of another knight. Or, so it had seemed at a glance, but this was no knight. A goon of King Knight’s, donned in gaudy golden armor, now held her gaze through the soulless slots of its face mask. A moment they stood in silence as each tried to pry the other’s grip away from their weapon. Shovel Knight could see the minion’s forearms begin to waver as she pressed the blade of its sword closer to its breast. It suddenly spun back, pushing off of Shovel Knight’s weapon and twirling back into a lowered stance on the golden brick. Shovel Knight couldn’t help but think about how impractical the brick was, especially inside, when she realized something. Lunging forward with her left leg, she swung her shovel up to meet the sword of the minion only to back away just before striking. Instead of following through, the knight bent back on her left and swept the gold armor’s feet out from under it with her right foot, toppling it. Her opponent dropped in its showy plate armor like a sack of bricks and its head clattered noisily against the floor, knocking it unconscious.  
Moving on, Shovel Knight plunged her way deeper into the castle until met with a lone, quiet hall. For it place in the palace of wealth, the pathway was surprisingly bare, until it opened to the centerpiece room. Walking into the throne room she felt incredibly small, gawking at the the massive chandeliers and magnificent arched windows looking out over the keep.  
“I knew you’d show your face here sooner or later” a voice boomed down from atop a short platform. Seated high in his own self-indulgence, the golden knight looked down upon the stout, blue warrior. “Still cursed to carry around that ridiculous gardener’s tool as well I see. I suppose it is a just fate, a peasant’s sword for the peasant fool”  
“It’s not a sword, that’s the point”  
“I understand, I merely jest at your expense my dear. Please try to keep up”  
“You’re in no position to critic my methods, when you brandish such a silly offense as that jeweled scepter”  
“No? Perhaps I will show you the power behind my personal choice, something you won’t ever have the luxury of possessing again”  
Before Shovel Knight could make another move, the seated Knight tapped his scepter on the floor and stood. Discreetly activating some hidden mechanism, the floor beneath Shovel Knight began to churn and ungulate violently. King Knight then hopped down onto the wavering brick, swinging his scepter high and throwing the royal cape from his shoulders to the ground. The tyrannical foe stood menacingly tall, showing his broad chest and shoulders through the frame of his gleaming armor. Shovel Knight grit her teeth, making a run for him and taking the first jab. King Knight stepped aside before she could reach him, moving surprisingly quick. He then leaned to grab her wrist and fling her back against the frame of the nearest window. Clanging against the wall, the brute force of the impact knocked the air from Shovel Knight’s lungs, forcing her to drop to her knees. Feeling his peering down upon her from above, she gazed up into the dark shadow of King Knight.  
“You shouldn’t have come here, woman.”  
Shovel Knight saw a window of opportunity and rose up, slinging her shovel at his waist and digging the head of it between the plates of gold. Immediately King Knight grunted in pain and side stepped involuntarily. He huffed and turned violently to face her, now doubled over and gripping the other end of her weapon with his free hand. Shovel Knight hesitated only a moment, enough to see the soft, yet perceivably hot, red glow of his gaze through his helmet’s dark slot.  
“I meant it.” King Knight spoke gruffly, twisting and wrenching the shovel away from Shovel Knight.  
“No!” She yelped before being drowned out by the sound of King Knight’s armor igniting. A fierce, low crackle came alive as suddenly flames enshrouded King Knight’s body, his armor reflecting brilliant scarlet hues and casting Shovel Knight’s dark shadow quivering meekly behind her against the wall.  
“What…”  
King Knight cackled. “Don’t you see? THIS is what you missed after you retreated to your nowhere countryside shack in shame. The world waits for no one Shovel Knight, and you missed your shot I’m afraid”. King Knight then swung at the window above Shovel Knight, shattering it and sending stained glass falling perilously to the ground far below the chamber. Reaching down, he grabbed her by the top of her breastplate and raised her up off of the floor.  
“I’d say goodbye, but you and I never really had anything special, so I’ll just let you go” King Knight said, the flames of his gauntlet dangerously close to Shovel Knight’s face. She kicked and twisted, but King Knight was stronger than he appeared, and kept her dangling firmly in his grasp. He marched up to the window sill and stepped up, holding Shovel Knight out over the ledge and steadying himself. She could feel the distance below her, and the cool breeze sent chills down her body and she squirmed in the open air.  
“You are relieved Shovel Knight, now is your chance to catch the world again, don’t miss it this time.” The man spoke cruelly, before releasing his grip. And suddenly, Shovel Knight was falling.


End file.
